Open source geospatial conference offers introduction session for newcomers

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DENVER — The Free and Open Source Software for Geospatial (FOSS4G) conference offers a full-day introduction for newcomers at the 2011 conference, which will be held Sept. 12-16 in Denver. The broad introduction to the world of geospatial open source software takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

The maturity of the software in recent years rivals closed source software, and it is being used by a wide range of commercial and government organizations for many mission-critical applications. If your organization is paying for geospatial software and you haven’t yet evaluated open source software, this is a great way to find out more.

The introduction will address common questions and misconceptions about open source software, including:
• Is the software really free? (Yes)
• Do its capabilities really compare with closed source software? (Yes)
• Can I get support? (Yes)
• Can it work together with my existing closed source software? (Yes)

Several case studies will be presented, with details on the tools deployed, how they were implemented, and the results that were achieved. There will also be a panel discussion that focuses on the various business models for making money using open source geospatial software.

The day will work equally as a standalone event, or as a way to get up to speed for the subsequent FOSS4G conference, which provides three more days of detail on software and projects, and an opportunity to meet the leading developers and companies working in open source geospatial.

Learn more about the introductory day-long session at http://2011.foss4g.org/intro-details.